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Scrappy Little Nobody

A collection of whimsical autobiographical essays by the actress and star of "Up in the Air" recounts memorable milestones, from her New England upbringing to the blockbuster films that have made her one of Hollywood's most popular actresses.

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A nice light chatty little book. It made a nice break from the somewhat heavier fare I tend to favour. It's a very quick read, jumping from anecdote to anecdote (which are grouped thematically rather than chronologically). Basically, it's like having a conversation with a friend - flitting from topic to topic but a nice way to get to know them.

Overall I enjoyed listening, but some chapters I felt she had to talk about because she literally had nothing else to talk about (i.e. rants about the travesties of adulting and literally a chapter dedicated to fake parties she plans). Fun, easy read.

I have always loved her and when I read this book it confirmed everything I thought. She is a super down-to-earth girl, with quite a few funny stories to share. The book is just her talking about some of the events that happened throughout her life (how she got into acting, how she has failed in the love department and how she gets to play dress up for work but worries that "they" might find out she is a fraud and all of it will disappear).

I like Anna Kendrick's wry take on things. This was an enjoyable quick read - I did feel that her ironic style of writing didn't work as well in the later chapters when discussing red carpets, galas and the like ... as it did in the beginning before she became famous. Still, she has a gift for words as well as for acting and I hope she writes more.

"Scrappy Little Nobody" was charming and endearing, well-written and funny. The narrative voice is killer. Some of the feelings and the experiences portrayed are so universal that you almost forget the person writing this is was in FIVE MOVIES that came out THIS YEAR. Anyway. Anna Kendrick is lovely and I love her and this book just made me love her even more.

Summary

Actress Anna Kendrick has penned a memoir of her life detailing her experiences from a child actor on Broadway to a major screen star in Hollywood in Scrappy Little Nobody. The book is a collection of autobiographical essays that are told in an irreverent tone and with self-deprecating humour.

Kendrick is witty and very open about her experiences and opinions which makes her endearing and charming. The essays progress in a fairly chronological manner. We learn how Kendrick started as a child actor and made her debut on Broadway at the age of 12. She says that while her Tony nominated role gave her large exposure, the fact that her father had to temporarily relocate with her to New York from Maine and work two jobs to pay the rent, helped her to be the rare child actor to grow up “without the drug addiction.” Kendrick recounts her experience moving to Hollywood and feeling lonely and struggling with success. She explains how the media attention and an Oscar nomination for her role in Up in the Air was difficult to reconcile with the fact that she lived with roommates and slept on an Ikea single bed.

Kendrick shares about some of her most formative experiences with men and love. She casually mentions famous actors that she’s worked with but she’s not dishing any gossip. She discusses how working on the Twilight saga paid the bills so that she was able to take indie roles. Unfortunately, Kendrick doesn’t mention how she got the roles in her big break films so readers don’t have any movie-making strategies to replicate.

Kendrick maintains throughout the book that she is just a “nobody” who got lucky. Her obvious talent as an actress and singer are what have made her one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood today, but it’s refreshing that she downplays her talent. Kendrick’s awkwardness and spunkiness make her a relatable kind of celebrity. She takes on a conversational tone as she shares her memories and opinions.